Impulse
by Rhea Jediknight
Summary: A momentary impulse forever change Mara and Luke’s relationship. PreVisions of the Future. This is just another alternate version where Luke and Mara fall in love.


Title: Impulse Author: Rhea Jediknight Rating: R (nothing a romance novel wouldn't have)

Summary: A momentary impulse forever change Mara and Luke's relationship..

Timeline: Sometime before VOTF

This story is essentially a Luke and Mara romance.

Disclaimer : I make no claim on the Star Wars copyright. I have not nor will I ever make any money from the sale of this story. This is written with the intent to support the fan base and not in an effort to make money. This work is based on characters and situations that are owned by George Lucas and Lucasfilms Ltd and Timothy Zahn.

Impulse

The lightsabers were a blue and green blur of lights as the two Jedi's sparred on the relatively flat clearing. They had a panoramic view of the forest of Yavin IV on the either side of the ledge, but neither of the combatants paid any heed to the natural beauty of the place. Instead, they were both more concerned about gaining the upper hand of their opponent and avoiding the dangerous precipice that lay just a few steps away.

Mara and Luke had decided to leave the Academy behind for their sparring practices after an unfortunate incident with a maintenance droid. After barely managing to repair the device, Tionne had practically insisted that they take their deadly sessions outside. They were quick to agree.

Mara stumbled but still managed to block the descending lightsaber blade a little too close for comfort. Skywalker had over extended himself and staggered toward her. His hair fell across his forehead and he quickly regained his balance. His face ended up disturbingly close to Mara's. Their eyes locked and they froze, lightsabers crossed to the left of their bodies.

Mara had never been this close to the Jedi and there was something terribly intimate about the moment. Mara could sense nothing from Luke, but she could see his eyes dilate in response to their nearness. Her gaze dropped to his parted lips and without thought, Mara closed the remaining distance between them and kissed him. Luke did not move but she sensed his shock at her action. Her flesh burned at the contact and she closed her eyes for a moment giving into the kiss.

Luke remained still and Mara pulled back and opened her eyes.

Luke's eyes had grown to slits and Mara turned her wrist effortlessly disarming the Jedi. Luke stood upright and Mara shut down her lightsaber, clipped it to her belt, and before Skywalker could say anything, back flipped off the ridge.

"Mara!" Luke called.

Mara fell heavily to the ground. She cursed herself as she ran, wondering what had possessed her to give in to the insane impulse to kiss the Jedi. What the hell had she been thinking? She dashed into the forest and continued to run until she was short of breath.

When she was deep in the forest and far from the Academy, Mara sat down and crossed her legs. She buried her head in her hands, her fingers speared through the hair that had come undone from her braid. She dreaded returning to the Academy, dreading facing Skywalker. Unable to think of any other course of action, she began to plan to sneak back to her ship and escape into space before anyone was the wiser. She moved to a small, thin trickling stream and splashed water on her face. She unwound her hair from the braid at her neck and combed her fingers through the long tresses. She wanted to appear as unmoved as possible, and wished that she was not on a planet filled with Jedi.

It had started to get dark before she got to her feet and began to walk back to the Academy.

Luke ran to the edge of the ledge and saw Mara disappear into the forest. His first impulse was to follow her but stopped when he realized he had no idea what he would say or do when he caught up to her. His fingers touched his lips for a moment and then he threw his hand out and called his lightsaber to him. The weapon flew effortlessly into his hand and he clipped it to his utility belt.

The slight smile on his face quickly grew into a wide grin. He began to whistle a tune he hadn't thought of since he was a boy on Tatooine. He grew quiet once he reached the Academy grounds. A group of students moved toward him, on their way to their next lesson when one of the Jedi in the group urged them to leave Master Skywalker alone. Luke began to jog to his room, oblivious to his surroundings.

After stepping out of the 'fresher and pulling on a clean set of clothes, Luke sat down next to the terminal in his room. He stared at the blank screen, composed his emotions, and finally called his sister.

Leia answered the call almost immediately. "What is it, Luke? What's wrong?"

Luke smiled disarmingly feeling somewhat uneasy by his sister's words and wondering if it was a mistake to call her, "Nothing's wrong Leia. I just wanted to see how you and the kids are doing."

Leia raised an eyebrow and said in measured tones, "Han took the kids to a show they've been begging to see for weeks." She paused and leaned closer to the monitor, "What's up, Luke. You didn't call about Han and the kids, so out with it."

"What ever happened to all that diplomatic training, sis?"

"I save that for work, you're family dear brother, so I can indulge myself by being frank. So tell me what's on your mind."

Luke's mind raced, trying to think of a way to ask his sister for advice, for her opinion on what had happened with Mara. "Mara and I were sparring earlier today and something happened that I wanted to ask you about."

Leia nodded without interrupting.

Luke turned a little red and then continued, "She disarmed me. With a kiss."

"She WHAT?" Leia broke her silence involuntarily, "I'm sorry what did you say?"

"Yeah. I was just as surprised. We had our sabers locked and she leaned forward and kissed me. I was so stunned that she disarmed me."

"Well, that's an approach that never occurred to me when we were practicing with a lightsaber." Leia smiled and then looked thoughtful for a moment. "What happened after she kissed you?"

"Well that's the odd thing, she jumped over a mountain ledge and ran off into the forest."

Leia's mouth tipped upward in a smile and Luke's face got even redder.

"Leia!" Luke admonished.

"Sorry. You have to admit to the humor of the whole thing. Did you enjoy the kiss?"

Luke nodded slowly without meeting his sister's eyes.

"I wonder why she ran off. That doesn't seem like the Mara I know."

"Well, I was pretty startled by the whole thing."

"And you didn't respond to the kiss. And she got embarrassed and ran off."

Luke nodded reluctantly. "You think that's what happened? I was wondering if she had just used the kiss as a way to gain control of the situation. She certainly won the sparring match hands down."

Leia shook her head and said sadly, "Brother, you have a lot to learn about women. If I know one thing it's this, no woman, no matter what, ever kisses a man unless they want to. There is always another way to achieve an end and if I know anything about Mara, she's cursing herself in a hundred different languages about what a fool she was to ever give in to her impulse. If you want my advice, I would say if you are interested in pursuing her, you should seduce her before she thinks too much about what happened."

"What!" Luke looked up at Leia as if she had just grown an eye on her forehead. "This is Mara Jade we're talking about. Ex-Emperor's hand. Deadly with a lightsaber."

"And a beautiful force strong woman who has always been there for you. She cares deeply for you. Mara is always the first one to go jumping into danger to try to save your hide. And if she kissed you, I would guess her feelings go pretty deep."

Luke looked thoughtful and smiled shyly at his sister. "You think so?"

Leia rolled her eyes and said, "Men!"

Luke laughed and they said their good byes. A plan had begun to form in his head.

It was well into the night when Mara reached her ship. It was a small transport vehicle Talon Karrde had loaned to her so that she could make a delivery on her way to Yavin IV. The moment the door closed behind her she knew she was not alone.

Her lightsaber flew into her hand, but before she could light it, she felt a warm hand rest on hers and a familiar voice say, "It's just me, Mara."

The red-haired woman slumped back breaking contact with Luke, but not exactly reassured. "Sith, Skywalker. What are you doing here?"

"Good response time." Luke nodded to the lightsaber handle still clutched in her hand. "That jump off the cliff was pretty impressive too." Luke commented and moved out of the shadows.

Mara was mortified to feel the blood rush to her face and she turned away on a pretense of grabbing a drink from the tiny kitchen unit. She poured a hot chocolate for Luke and practically shoved it into his hands.

Luke took the mug from her before it could fall to the floor and moved to sit on one of the cushioned galley seats. His eyes never left Mara as he sipped the steaming liquid. Seeing Luke sitting so calm and collected, made her feel ill at easy and unkempt. She set her saber down.

"I'm going to go clean up."

Luke nodded, unable to think of any thing to say and glad of the momentary reprieve.

Mara disappeared into the utilitarian cabin and quickly stripped the soiled clothing and stepped into the' fresher. Mara acted more out of sheer habit than deliberate thought, cleaning quickly and dressing in a green robe. She took a deep breath and left the cabin. She cursed herself when she realized that she should have put on a fresh set of clothes. The robe did not leave enough of a barrier.

Luke had his back to her and although she knew he was aware of her approach, he did not turn to face her. Instead, he had her lightsaber in his hands, slowly turning it as if he was searching for something. He was dressed in his customary black tunic, pants, and boots. The dark color made his hair gleam in the light. Mara drank in the sight of him. He was beautiful and she felt her mouth go dry. Goosebumps spread across the surface of her skin and she suddenly felt that the ship was too small. They were too close and she backed up a step to slip back into the rear cabin.

Luke's gaze shot up and held her where she stood. His eyes scanned her face and she raised her barriers when she felt his tentative probe with the force. His blue eyes glittered and half his face was in shadow.

"This is a little late for a social call, don't you think." Mara commented, her voice lower than she had intended and she cleared her throat.

His gaze drifted to the plunging neckline of her shiny green robe and Mara forced herself not to hold the edges together with her hands. She did not want to acknowledge that she was suddenly self conscious.

His eyes moved up to her lips and she licked them nervously. "I think we need to talk about what happened today," Luke's voice was low.

"Why. I admit that my maneuver was a little unorthodox, but it was effective, none the less."

Luke set the lightsaber down carefully and turned his attention back to her. His gaze dropped and he nodded. "You were going to keep running, weren't you?"

Mara shrugged, her emotions raging while she maintained a cool exterior. Luke's gaze seemed to pierce her eyes and she knew he could sense her turmoil. She realized that her barriers had slipped and she quickly reinforced them. She knew that it was foolish to deny it.

She should have stayed after their practice session. If she had pretended at the time that the kiss was just a ploy to win the duel, he might have bought it. When she had run off, she had given more weight to the event. Earlier, she had tried to think of what she would say to Luke and she had never come up with a reasonable response. Avoidance was the best course of action.

"I don't want to talk about it, Skywalker. It just happened and it's over."

Luke walked slowly, deliberately toward her. She unconsciously retreated in an effort to maintain a distance between them until the cabin door pressed against her back. "Why did you kiss me?" he asked when he was close enough to touch.

Mara stared defiantly up into his eyes and said, "I said I don't want to talk about it. You always over analysis everything."

"You're right. I talk too much." He said and grabbed her shoulders firmly and kissed her. Mara struggled against him, and knew if she were honest with herself she probably could have gotten free, if she just pushed a little harder. His lips were hard and relentless on hers. His force presence flooding her mind, not invading, but giving.

He was revealing how the touch of her skin filled him with pleasure and he shared that pleasure with her. Mara secretly reveled in the feel of the Jedi against her body, and the pressure of his lips against her own. The additional sensation of his own pleasure was too much for her. She moaned and gave up the struggle. She threw her arms around his neck and responded passionately, molding herself against his body. She could feel every hard plane and angle of his muscled chest, smell the clean masculine scent of his body.

She let her barriers slip so that he could feel her pleasure at his touch. She felt a ripple in the force indicating Luke's surprise at her willingness to allow him that knowledge. She opened her mouth to him and he groaned, accepting the invitation to deepen the kiss. His hands slipped beneath the robe and she him shudder when he discovered that she wore nothing beneath the smooth cloth. Mara pulled away to draw a ragged breath and arched her neck back when Luke bent forward to move his mouth down her neck.

A little voice in her head told her to stop now before things got out of hand. Luke sensed her hesitation and pulled back to look at her. His face was flushed, his breath rapid, and his eyes were the most intense blue she had ever seen. Mara felt her stomach flutter at the sight of him and warmth pooled at her very core. She raised her hand tentatively, suddenly shy, and brushed an overlong lock of blond hair back into place. He grabbed her hand and held it against the side of his face.

His eyelids grew heavy and he said, "I know this is fast, but god how I want you."

Mara knew that if she were smart, she would tell the Jedi to leave and never turn back. She did not want to risk a broken heart and she knew she had let him get too close. But she also knew that if she pushed him away now, there would never be another opportunity. She had wanted him so desperately for so long that some nights it was a physical pain. She was honest enough with herself to know that it was pointless to avoid a broken heart. It was already inevitable.

She closed her eyes and swayed toward Luke. When she opened them again she said, "Then stay."

A broad infectious smile spread across Luke's face and an answering smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Mara opened the cabin door with the force and moved her hand from Luke's face to his hand. She pulled him back into the small room and closed the door behind them. The Jedi moved to caress her hair almost reverently, his gaze taking in the petite woman. He tugged at the belt that fastened her robe and watched as it pooled at Mara's feet.

"Beautiful," Luke whispered.

He pulled her against his body and began to kiss her, moving his lips down her body. Mara tugged at his tunic and he paused long enough to pull it off. The feel of his skin pressed against her own made her gasp and Luke pushed them onto the small, single bed. Their hands roamed feverishly over every inch of flesh. Mara could not remember a time when she found it so difficult to form a coherent thought.

She was sure that she was losing her mind, but she found that she did not care. Through the strengthening bond between them, Mara could sense Luke was in the same state. She pushed Luke over and climbed on top of him. He watched as she ran her hands over his firmly muscled chest. She began to kiss every inch of him. Her hand hesitated over the fastening of his pants. He stopped her and gently pushed her back into the bed. He leaned over her, gazing into her eyes, and Mara felt her heart expand at the soft expression in his eyes.

Luke began to administer to her body, learning every curve, every secret until she was sure that she had truly gone mad. He shrugged out of his pants effortlessly. He leaned forward to kiss her. There was something very solemn about the moment. He pushed her legs apart, and Mara nearly sobbed when she felt him hesitate before burying himself deep inside of her. The feel of him was incredible. When he began to move, it was more than she could have possibly imagined. Their eyes fluttered closed and they both moaned. He moved slowly at first and then increased the tempo. She threw her legs around him and dug her fingers into his shoulder blades, urging him on. He sensed her need and quickly adjusted, matching his rhythm to her rapid breathing.

"Oh God, Luke!" She exhaled.

He kissed her, his tongue teasing her own in time to their bodies. An energy pulsed around their twined bodies and Mara knew she would never experience anything like it with any other man. Every nerve ending was sensitized. She felt the pleasure wash over her and overwhelm her senses. When the pinnacle came, they shuddered in unison. They lay together unable to move, unable to think for a long time. Luke rolled over and pulled Mara with him. She rested her head on top of his chest. She curled her body into the side of his body. He held her possessively against him and she wished this moment would last forever.

"So do I," Luke agreed.

Luke began to chuckle and Mara pushed up to look at him directly.

"What's so funny, Skywalker."

"Luke, the name's Luke." He pointed at the smashed lamp. "I think we got a little carried away."

Mara saw the shattered remains of what was once a reading lamp on the side of the bed. She vaguely remembered hearing it smash at the culmination of their lovemaking.

Mara reddened slightly and asked, "Do you think the other's know what we just did?"

Luke's was unable to suppress the wide grin that stretched across his face. His eyes danced and he said, "I tried to keep up a barrier, but I can't guarantee they don't know."

Mara groaned and buried her head in his chest. "I can't believe I got myself into this mess. Now I have to get out of here as soon as possible ."

The grin slipped off his face and Luke sat up, pulling the woman with him. "Don't you dare run away from this, from me, Jade."

Mara sat up and saw the vulnerable look in his eye and the determined expression on his face. "I swear that no matter how far you run, I'll be right behind you. I won't let you deny what just happened between us. I won't let you throw away what we have."

"What exactly do we have, . .. Luke?"

Luke cupped Mara's face in his hands, "You still don't know do you?" He kissed her so gently that Mara felt unable to breath. Her heart pounded so loudly, she was sure he could hear. Warmth spread from her lips to the rest of her body.

"Oh Mara." Luke groaned and began to rain small kisses on her hands and up her arms. It was too much for her. A strange emotion struggled to come forth and Mara pulled herself from his embrace. She stood with her back to the Jedi, uncaring about her unclothed state. She hugged her arms around her and felt as if she were cast adrift in an ocean with nothing to cling to.

"I would have liked to have moved slower, given you more time to become accustomed to the idea, but I knew that you would be long gone if I didn't act quickly."

Mara silently acknowledged Luke was right, and she tried to figure out what she was feeling. She heard the rustling of the sheets and Luke wrapped his arms around her body.

"Tell me what you're feeling right now." There was a barely perceptible hitch in the Jedi's voice that compelled her to tell the truth.

"Vulnerable." Was all she said. Luke turned her around to face him and lifted her chin so that she would meet his eyes.

"Me too."

Mara smiled tentatively.

She grabbed Luke's' face and pulled him toward her. Once he was close enough, she kissed him with all the longing she had felt. She made up for years of maintaining her distance and hiding her feelings. It all came pouring out of her. Luke grabbed her and held her to him. The Jedi were lost in emotion. Neither Jedi able to tell where one started and the other ended.

Luke pulled her back to the bed where he dragged the blanket over them both. Mara refused to open her eyes as she floated on a sea of emotion. Luke moved his fingers to her temple and joined her in her self appointed exile.

"Don't you see. We were meant to be together."

And Mara did see, and was humbled by the moment. Tears began coursing down her face, "I'm sorry." She said trying to reign in her emotions.

Luke began kissing the tears and said, "I love you, Mara."

Her heart leapt at the words, but she felt he beginning of panic as well. "This isn't right, Luke."

"Why?"

"You're the hero of the New Republic, the Respectable Jedi Master. I was the Emperor's Hand."

"You were the Emperor's Hand. That was years ago. And I'm still the son of Darth Vader."

They grew silent.

"We'll work things out. Promise me you won't leave. We can try to step back and take it slow. Give yourself time to search your feelings."

She nodded. "Right. Let's go slow," she pushed the Jedi back on to the bed and began to show him what she meant Mara redefined the meaning of torture and it was nearly dawn before she let him fall into an exhausted and satisfied sleep.

She watched him as he lay their, eyes closed, breathing deep and even. Mara bent forward and kissed him gently on the forehead. Luke stirred but he settled back into sleep. She slipped out of the cabin. She sat in the pilot's seat and stared blindly at the display monitor. Her mind was racing, but she was happy too. Mara was not sure what lay in store for her in the future, but she knew that she would no longer be alone. Mara returned to the bed and curled around the man still sleeping soundly on the small bed and smiled.

The End

Top of Form

Bottom of Form


End file.
